West Marine announced today (May 21/08) that it reached an agreement
with East Marine Denizcilik & Turizm AS to open
a franchise store in Istanbul, Turkey. The announcement was made in a joint statement between West
Marine and Rahmi Koc, chairman and controlling shareholder of East Marine.
The Istanbul store, expected to open in July, will be the first in a multi-store development agreement for
Turkey. Other locations are being identified on Turkey's Aegean and
Mediterranean coasts.